The Mowry sisters are back with another fun-filled season of Tia & Tamera starting tonight at 8 P.M. ET/7 P.M. CT on the Style Network.

Most of us remember them fondly from their '90s sitcom, Sister, Sister, but these ladies are not solely defined by that television show. Since it ended in 1999, they attended college (Pepperdine University), acted in other shows and movies, wrote books, got married, and became mothers and entrepreneurs. Clearly, Tia and Tamera are in the midst of building an empire, and we're just along ride. In honor of their reality show's season-three premiere, I chatted with them (special shout-out to Tia for doing the interview despite being under the weather) about their lives, ever-expanding careers, and motherhood. Before we dive in, let's take a look at the trailer:

One of the things I love about your show is that it's different from most reality TV because it's not scripted. Was that a conscious decision?

Tia: Definitely. We didn't want to do a reality show if it was going to be scripted. We heard about a lot of the shows that are, so we stressed to the producers that we wouldn't do that with our show. The thing about my sister and myself is that what you see is what you get, so I believe that is one of the reasons why we have longevity in Hollywood. Even when I'm playing a character, I approach it from an authentic place—so to do a fake reality-TV show wouldn't work for me.

Tamera: Yeah, I mean, if we wanted to do a scripted show, we would've done that as well. So it was important to do something different from other reality shows, and we fight very hard to keep it as real as possible.

What made you two enter world of reality television, and how do you think it has benefited your career?

Tamera: Well, my sister forced me into it. [Laughter]

Really?

Tamera: I didn't want to do reality TV at ALL. However, I'm happy I did because it opened up a world that people have been longing to see. They see that we're now two grown women, and people don't have to wonder what we've been up to. They can just turn on the TV and watch it. So it definitely helped us stay relevant and because of that, a lot of opportunities have come our way.

Why were you resistant to doing reality TV?

Tamera: I'm a very private person. Very private. You know, I've lived my entire life in a fishbowl, so it was important for me to keep my personal life private because people can't talk about what they don't know. Still, even with the reality show, I have my boundaries.

That's probably why you're sane and not a hot mess.

Tamera: Exactly! I think you should always hold some stuff to yourself, especially if you're a celebrity. My husband [Fox News Channel correspondent Adam Housley] is not on the show all the time because he's very dear to me and we want to stay married.

Tia: Well, to start, I have to be frank with you: Doing reality TV is a lot harder than I thought because I come from the world of [scripted] television where everything is thought out and you know what's going to happen, your lines, what your wardrobe is going to be, etc. But with reality, it's very spontaneous and the cameras are around for 12 hours a day. That part is hard, you know, because your vulnerabilities and weaknesses are being exposed. On the flip side, I feel like Tamera and I have become relatable people and that has benefited me. For example, sometimes I feel like having a reality-TV show is the prerequisite to building your own brand like we did with NEED, the product line for pregnant women. If we didn't have the show, I'm not sure we would've been able to go down this road with the brand.

You have such diverse careers. Was it always the plan to be multi-hyphenates or did all of this happen organically?

Tia: That is a great question, and no one has ever asked me that before. Again, I think because the reality show, you're able to express different aspects of your personality—the mom, the sister, the actor, the wife—whereas when you're acting, you're just playing that one defined character. So to me, everything that's happened since the show has come organically, as opposed to being clearly articulated. For instance, I thought about yoga. I love it and I interact a lot with people on Twitter, which made feel like I wanted to help moms, so I came up with a DVD. Still, I don't think anything happens by chance. My work ethic has really helped with my career.

Tamera: For me, I think it was a choice because ever since we started doing Sister, Sister, we had a vision for where we wanted to go. And now a lot of the hard work is paying off. It has always been very important for us to show different facets of who we are. We're not just actors. We went to college. I like to think of myself as a very educated and smart human being, so I wanted to capitalize on that. I love everything about entrepreneurship and about owning your career and doing what you love to do.

If you had to choose, which part of your career do you enjoy doing the most?

Tamera: I think in general I love being a mom. That's the best job I've ever had. All the other stuff I love the same, but being a mom trumps all of it.

Does that love of motherhood make you want to have more kids, or are you done?

Tamera: Absolutely want more. If I had started younger, I would have three.

Tia, what about you?

Tia: Hmm, I enjoy all of it equally, but I will say that I really love being an entrepreneur and sharing my stories and experiences and creating products. My son [two-year-old Cree] has definitely given me passion and a drive to come up with ideas for other moms out there.

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Tia, you have two projects coming out: NickMom's Instant Mom and a romantic comedy, Baggage Claim. How did these opportunities come about?__

Tia: Basically, I met with the executive producer of Instant Mom, Aaron Kaplan. We talked about the show, and then he asked me to read the script and told me that if I was interested, he would love for me to be a part of it. I read the script and it was perfect timing for me because I had just left The Game and I was a new mom and had never been able to portray being a mom as an actor. So, to me, it was a no-brainer—now I'm producing on the show as well, which I love doing.

Baggage Claim came about because I auditioned for it. I've always wanted to be in movies, and the last one I had done was with my sister. I think that it is hard for TV actors to branch out into film because they often are defined by the role that played on a particular television show, so it's nice the part I'm playing [in Baggage Claim] is something people wouldn't necessarily expect me to do. Like I'm going crazy. [Laughter]

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Back to Instant Mom for a second: I remember being a little black girl, growing up in the '90s and watching shows like Sister, Sister and The Cosby Show. Now there's a dearth of sitcoms starring people of color. I feel like the next generation of kids are growing up and not seeing themselves reflected on TV. Was that a motivating factor behind your doing this show? __

Tia: That's great question, and I'm so happy I get to answer it! Yeah, I mean, I feel blessed that when I take on a television role, it embodies The Cosby Show. Sister, Sister was compared to that show. And with The Game, my character Melanie Barnett was a medical student, and when do you ever see black women being portrayed as medical students and going to school? Usually, we're shown pulling each other's hair out and calling each other names, especially on reality TV. It's a stigma that black women deal with. So I'm very happy that Instant Mom represents a realistic family that exists today, which unfortunately, because the divorce rate is high, I'm playing a stepmom. Usually, when you see stepmoms on TV, it's not in a positive light, and that's why I'm glad to play a woman who is a food blogger and loves her husband and wants to have a family.

Tamera, you're working on a new talk show premiering on July 15 called The Real. Was this a show you created, or were you asked to be a part of it?

Tamera: Let me just say that doing The Real is a close second to being a mom. As far as how the show came about, I don't want to give too much away because you'll see that this season on *Tia & Tamera *, but I will say that I was contacted about doing the talk show, so I was very honored.__

Tamera: What you can expect is nothing politically correct. We tell it how it is. You know when you watch a show and you're wishing someone would say what you're thinking? Well, that's what these girls are saying. I feel like these days there are so many times where people want to be PC and we're not going to do that. We're going to focus on what girlfriends talk about, which are relationships, sex, being married, food, etc.

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I know I'm prodding a bit, but you started taping a couple weeks ago—so can you give a sneak preview about one of the segments?__

Tamera: Ooh, my favorite is this. A lot of talk shows have these segments on how to lose weight and change your diet. Yes, being healthy is very important, but even the healthiest person is going to binge sometimes, have some ice cream. So we do this segment called "The Binge" and we introduce some of the best food to binge on. Did you know Goldfish comes in a French toast flavor?

What?!

Tamera: Yes! It feels like you're putting the syrup, the bread, the cinnamon all up in your mouth. Also, there's barbecue popcorn, bacon dipped in chocolate, bacon doughnuts. We had the cronuts made out of Oreos and chocolate tequila.

That's amazing. OK, this question is for both of you: How you do balance your hectic Hollywood careers with marriage and motherhood?

Tia: The main thing I do is make time for my family. So what I do is sit down with my family and we prioritize what's important to us. Like right now, my husband [actor Cory Hardrict] is in New Mexico, shooting a movie with Morgan Freeman. Right after I finished production on Tia and Tamera, Cree and I came out here to be with him, so we're here for 10 days and today is our son's birthday.

Aww, happy birthday!

Tia: Thank you. Also, I try to not get too overwhelmed with planning everything out for the future and instead just take it one step at a time.

Tamera: I prioritize. To me, my family comes first. Make sure they're happy and then everything else trickles down from that. But honestly, I don't have it all together. I'm still learning how to balance. There are days where I'm like, "Wow, everything lined up!" Then there are days I want to pull my hair out, so like Tia said, I take it one day at a time, one step at a time.

I've heard plenty of actors say that parenthood made them better at acting because they can access their emotions easier. How has motherhood changed your life and influenced your acting?

Tia: That is so true! But to answer your first question: Motherhood has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. It has taught me a lot about myself, about the things I'm great at, and the things I need to work on. I do feel like the world is a better and happier place now that my son is here. That's so cliche, but it's true. I just have a new perspective; I'm more driven. Also, the thing that stands out to me is that I'm not as selfish. Before you have a child, you're doing everything for yourself. But now it's about what's best for him, and I'm enjoying that shift. Back to the acting thing: I find it funny that you asked me that because I had a producer tell me right after I had Cree that my acting had gotten deeper.

Tamera: For me, I think my son has taught me how to be present. I think to be an amazing actress, you have to be present, you have to be in the moment and not thinking about other things. Not only that, but Aden has helped me find my voice. I'm his mom, and I'll do any and everything for him. So in my career, I'm a lot more forward with what I want, where I want to go, and the things I want to do.

Can you tell us the funniest or best moment of motherhood so far?

Tia: My son is talking right now. Some words come out that I can recognize, but others don't. We were over at my family's house last week, and my son was having a conversation with my brother Tahj. He told Cree he didn't understand what he was saying. Cree just has his own language! One time we were on a plane, and he was pointing at the wing and saying something, and I said, "Oh, blue?" And then he started crying because he was mad that I didn't get what he was saying.

Tamera: Oh my goodness. I have two that come to mind: In the beginning, I chose not to have any help, so I had Aden for three months by myself. The first six weeks were, by far, that hardest job I've ever had in my life. I was hurting all over and not getting any sleep. So I was questioning, "When am I supposed to enjoy this," because I was just so exhausted all the time. It was when he gave me his first social smile. I died. It's something you really can't explain. It was pretty amazing because he wasn't smiling because he had gas or he's dreaming; he's smiling because he saw his mom.

The funniest moment was when I was breast-feeding, and I wanted to make sure he was getting enough milk, so I went to this breast-pump place called the Pump Station, where you can weigh your baby and see if he's on track. It's only five minutes down the road from me, so I didn't bring his diaper bag. That's when he decided to have his first blowout. It went everywhere. And when you weigh your child at the Pump Station, you have to take off everything, and I was just like, "Oh, my God!" I didn't have a diaper or change of clothes. The moms saw me and helped out, but when we were done at the place, I had to put his gross clothes back on and felt like the worst mom ever. So now, wherever I go, I always bring a diaper bag.

We mentioned your product line NEED briefly. Can you tell us the inspiration behind it?

Tia: I'm extremely passionate about NEED. It came about because when my sister and I were both pregnant, there were things we "needed" that weren't available on the market. So all the products we've created based on our personal experiences. The first one was Milky, which is an herbal lactation enhancement drink that will help promote breast milk. I had issues with that when I was breast-feeding. I mean, there were teas out there, but they either didn't taste great or weren't practical considering that moms are always on the go. So with Milky, this is an affordable and natural product that all women can use.

Tamera: Also, when you're a first-time mom, you're pretty much terrified. First, you're excited, and then all of sudden, you're anxious, nervous, scared because you're like, "Oh my gosh, what do I do?" There's so much to learn and so much to need, and you can become overwhelmed with all the things on the market that are for moms and babies. You want is what's right for you and what you need, and that's how the brand got here.

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So where do you see this brand going? You want it to take over the world?__

Tamera: Uh, yeah! [Laughter] Honestly, I would love for our product to help new moms and make their lives easier. That's it.

Let's get back to Tia & Tamera: The show documents your lives as working moms, but it also documents your ever-evolving relationship with each other. Can you talk about your bond as sisters?

Tamera: Our bond has deepened, and I've actually found out what my sister thinks of me. [Laughter] She shoots scenes without me, and then I watch it later and go, "She thinks that? What?" So it's forced us to address our issues and because of that, we've gotten closer. Wait, are you pooping? [Laughter]

Did you just ask me if I'm pooping?

Tamera: Oh, no. Sorry! I'm talking to Aden. [Laughter]

Tia: The bond started in the womb. We were created together and grew up together. Now, has our relationship been perfect? No. There have been times when we can't stand each other, but still, the bond is so deep and we love each other so much. Not only are we twins, but we started in this business together. Our first main job was Sister, Sister and now we have NEED. So whether we want to believe it or not, we're a part of each other, so there's no way we can be disconnected.

Finally, what should fans look forward to this season on the show?

Tia: You're still going to see us being mothers, building our brand, but there's also focus on our differences.

Tamera: The biggest disagreement my sister and I have ever had on TV.

__Tune in tonight to watch the season-three premiere of Style's Tia & Tamera at 8 P.M ET/7 P.M. CT. Also, be sure to check your local listings for The Real's air times.